Mark your calendars… Windows 8.1 begins in NZ

Starting at midnight on October 18 in New Zealand, Windows 8.1 will begin rolling out worldwide as a free update for consumers on Windows 8 through the Windows Store.

Also available at retail and on new devices, Microsoft will be hoping Windows 8.1 will become what Windows 8 should have been.

Research group Gartner recently claimed some users rejected Windows 8 because of the changes made, coupled with "a lack of discoverability, help or cues for the new user experience."

Yet confidence is high in Redmond, with the Microsoft team firmly believing the free update can finally put to bed months of Windows 8 bashing in the industry, kickstarting a new era for the operating system.

"Windows 8.1 continues the vision Microsoft began with Windows 8 and is an example of the company’s commitment to continuous innovation and improvement for customers," Microsoft says.

The software giant says business customers can begin testing for deployment in their environments with the Windows 8.1 Enterprise Preview.